


Splashes of Color

by Auremberite



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, Popular Lapis Lazuli (Steven Universe), Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-02
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2018-12-22 19:37:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11974284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auremberite/pseuds/Auremberite
Summary: Everyone knows that any mark you draw on your skin shows up in the same place on your soulmate. Anything from watercolor paintings to lines drawn in cheap ballpoint pen will be transferred over. Though it's not just ink. The emotions of your soulmate are transferred over, too. A way to get to know each other before you even meet.But sometimes, your soulmate isn't who you want it to be. Hopes are shattered the day you find your soulmate. But they can be dreams, be dreams turned into reality, too. You just have to hope they aren't nightmares.(TD;LR, soulmate au where Lapis is an artist and athlete while Peridot hides her talent. They're both socially awkward but Lapis is better at Faking It Till She Makes It™ so she's popular, I guess.)





	1. Not Everyone Can Art but at Least You Tried

**Author's Note:**

> Soulmate Rules:
> 
> 1\. Words won't show up on your soulmates skin  
> 2\. Neither will pictures of your own face  
> 3\. Once you've met and realize that you're soulmates, the first two rules don't apply.  
> 4\. Whatever other people write on you won't count

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis catches a sneaky snek staring at her. And her name is spelled p e r i d o t.

  Lapis:

  I swear to god, if my soulmate draws one more fucking squiggle on my forearm, I'll kill them.

  I don't even know why they draw them, but these squiggles show up every so often anyways. Luckily, it's always in cheap ink, so it washes off every time I get in the water, which is to say, twice a day.

  My name is Lapis Lazuli. I'm the captain of the Beach City high school swim team. And hey, why not admit it? I'm popular. The most popular girl in school, in fact. But besides being an athlete, I'm also secretly an artist.

  That's why, multiple times a week, I draw masterpieces on places no one will see: my stomach, where no one would dare look, or in the winter, my forearm, where I can hide it with a jacket sleeve. I wanted to make my soulmate happy and pretty.

  I know being an artist isn't shameful in any way, and I'm actually pretty good at it too, but my swimming coach says that art is a distraction, and I can't afford any distractions if I'm to make the 2020 Olympic swim team. So all my art must be hidden, drawn in the dark of night and stored away in a desk drawer or under my clothes.

  But sadly, I haven't yet found my soulmate, so I can't stop her from drawing these ugly ass squiggles on my arm every so often. It's not just that they're ugly, either. My soulmate doesn't even bother to hide them. Once, my swim coach caught a bit of her… let's be nice, and call it "art," peeking out from the sleeve of my jacket. He told me to take off my coat so he could see it, which exposed the art that I'd actually drawn.

  In response, he'd yelled at me, telling me to be more serious, and that if I had time to practice art, I'd better have my swimming skills down. So he made me hold my breath underwater for three minutes, a whole minute longer than I'd ever done, or I'd be kicked off the team, and my dreams would die.

  I almost drowned. Except I didn't, and so I got to stay. But the memory still haunts me.

oO0Oo

  So, today, like any other day, I walk into school, greeting my friends. It takes a long time because there are so many of them. I don't mean to brag, but I love having friends. I'm never alone.

  "Hey, Lapis," Zircon calls to me.

  We all call Zircon, Goldilocks, or just Goldie, because her soulmate also happens to be called Zircon. Goldie, however, has blonde hair, while her soulmate has dyed blue. We call her Cobalt. She's not nearly as popular, even though she used to try.

  I give her a fist bump. "What's up, dude? You went to Delmarva high school over the weekend, right? For, like, a debate competition?"

  She grins. "Guess which debate team won?"

  "I don't need to guess. Team Zircon is the best," I reply.

  Did I mention that Beach City high school is a school for kids with special talents? Some, like me, are here for various athletics. Others, such as the Zircons, are good at debate. If you have a valued talent, and you're really good, you get in. It's a public school, so there's no tuition. Then an entire period is devoted to developing your talent. I'm jealous of the art students, who sketch freely and do sports just for fun.

  Goldie smirks. "Of course we won. Well, I'll be seeing you around," she says, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and heading off to class just as the two-minute warning bell rings.

  I guess I should be heading to my first class too, which is advisory, but I don't care. I'd rather socialize.

  I spot Carnelian, and start to head to her, but just before I call her name, I see her soulmate, Skinny, come up and give her a hug. I don't want to interrupt anything, so I head to class, a bittersweet smile still on my lips.

oO0Oo

  In science, my first period, I sit at a group with Carnelian, Lars, and a quiet girl named Peridot. No one knows what Peridot's here for except her three friends, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl. But they're tight lipped.

  "So then I said, 'Bingo bongo!" Lars finishes his story, giving us finger guns.

  Carnelian and I burst into laughter. "Damn, I can't believe you said that to Emerald, of all people," I say between laughs. "She's pretty tightly wound."

  Lars grins and leans back in his chair. "Yeah, but the only thing that makes me afraid of her is her hair."

  I snort in agreement. Usually, I don't like making fun of people, but Emerald had been a huge jerk to a few of my friends before.

  Carnelian slaps the table. "Dude, I know! She uses so much hair gel, it makes her hair look like a mountain!"

  The other girl, Peridot, just rolls her eyes and pulls out her phone.

  Lars rolls his eyes. “Will our advisor ever actually show up? I’ve only seen him twice.” A mischievous grin lights up his face. “Let’s bail. Skip the rest of the period.”

  I shrug. “Sounds cool. I’m in.”

  Carnelian pulls a face, lifting her head. “I don’t think Skinny would like it if I missed a class.” Then her head lowers, and a smile stretches across her face, causing her amber eyes to glow in the light. “Let’s do it.”

  I hear Peridot give a little noise of disgust, but who cares anyway? We didn’t invite her cause she’s… herself. Weird. Uptight. Or so everyone else says. I have my own opinion.

  My gang stands up, and we head towards the doors.

  As Lars exits, he calls over his shoulder, “Peace out, losers!”

  Carnelian snickers, walking after him. Before I leave, I turn around and wink snarkily at the rest of the class. I notice Peridot staring into my eyes, and the corner of my mouth lifts before I’m out of sight.

  But the way she was looking at me is imprinted in my mind. I’ve noticed her doing it before, even if she hasn’t.

  Maybe it’s coincidence, or maybe it’s all in my head, but I think she watches me, me in particular. It sets me on edge. We’ve never spoken, except for one time, and even then, it was on accident, just one word. _‘Thanks.’_ And just after the words left my mouth, she was gone, and it was as if nothing had ever happened. But it had.

  It was our 9th grade end of year pool party. I’d been at the edge of the pool, drinking soda from a ruby red solo cup. I remember the color because it was the last thing I’d seen before I’d begun to fall, before my step sister had knocked me on the back so hard I was knocked off balance. But not into the pool. I was just far enough away that it would’ve been my head on the pavement. I wondered if my blood would be the same color as that cup.

  But then, a hand snagged the back collar of my shirt. My breath hitched, the skimpy fabric of my tank top pushed tight against my throat, my head so close to the pavement my eyelashes could almost touch the ground. I stared at the rough cement for a moment, waiting for it to come closer. But it didn’t, and I realized I wasn’t going to be slammed, at least not today. I felt the grip on my back shaking and I knew it had to be a person who’d caught me, a person who could barely support my weight, a person who refused to let go even though the consequences were small, were none.

  I stood up, and the hand on my back eased. I turned around, the words escaping my lips before I could stop them.

  “Thanks.”

  It was Peridot. I’d never seen her talk, never pictured her as a girl who was strong enough to catch me. But she had.

  She looks as scared as I felt, and when our eyes met, ice blue on celery green, the green flickered away, and the girl ran without another word. I stared after her, mystified.

  My friends teased me about it, but I never saw what was so funny.

  I blink myself back to reality as the bell rings, signifying end of advisory. My next period is art, and the only thing I'll do there is draw on my forearm for my soulmate to see.

  I wondered if Peridot liked art, too.

oO0Oo

  Peridot:

  "Peridot Evergreen, please pay attention!" my teacher, Holly Blue, yells.

  I'd been watching the most beautiful drawing yet appear on my forearm. I think it was watercolor, but I wasn't sure. My soulmate had been drawing a gorgeous sunset over the ocean, with almost every hue of the rainbow and then some. The water was green and blue and gold and every shade in between. I'd been watching it form, their every stroke. I was mesmerized.

  "Y- Yes, ma'am," I replied a little louder than necessary. A few kids snickered, and I gave them my best death stare. I gave a lot of people my death stare, actually.

  "Ooh, looks like Peridot's soulmate is busy!" the person next to me, Emerald, exclaimed, pointing at my arm.

  I pulled my hoodie sleeve down, but it was too late. Holly Blue had seen. At first, I thought I would be punished, as she strode down the aisle to meet me. She grabbed my arm, staring at the art. But her eyes softened.

  "That's gorgeous. You've really gotten a good one," Holly remarked kindly. "If you wish, you can go out in the hallway to watch."

  I hastily nodded, and exited the classroom. Everyone knew Holly's story. Her soulmate had been a wonderful artist, giving her new pieces every day. But one day, they stopped abruptly, never to start again. She had been heartbroken.

  I sat down against the hall wall, staring again at the sunset. I wondered if this is what my soulmate was seeing now. If so, how would I ever find them if they were halfway across the world?

  I pulled out a ballpoint pen – in green, my favorite color – and hastily drew a squiggle on the back of my hand.

  My soulmate stopped for a moment. And then, right below my squiggle, a second squiggle followed by a question mark. This was the first time we'd drawn at the same time. I'd always waited because I was too scared to mess up my lover's skin while they watched. But I guess Holly's story made me rethink.

  I grinned. We were both alive, existing, thinking of each other's without knowing even our names. And here she was, questioning my lovely art.

  In response, I drew a shrugging emoji.

  After a pause, they drew a stick figure slamming its hands on a table. I got the message well enough. My soulmate could've been screaming, "Maybe draw something that's not a line, maybe? Please? It's been sixteen years of damn squiggles."

  I snorted and drew a tiny penguin in a party hat.

  It took a moment, but my soulmate etched in a smiley face and a heart.


	2. Your Basketball Skills Are Subpar, Bro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kobe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like this chapter a lot more now  
> lifting weights is so unrelatable but fucking up is universal

  Lapis:

  The next day at lunch, I couldn’t focus. Not that it was anything new, but it was more than usual.

  “Hey, Lapis?” Carnelian asked, waving her hand in front of my face.

  I jolted quickly. “What? S- sorry, I guess I just zoned out.”

  Skinny rolled her eyes. “We noticed. Lars asked if you were going to the masquerade ball at the end of the month.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe. I just don’t see the point, you know?”

  Buck nodded. “I get that.”

  Sour Cream replied, “I don’t know, dude. It’s supposed to take away prejudice from finding your soulmate. You know, not testing someone who you don’t like. Maybe it’s a good idea.”

  “I mean, I just can’t see myself attracted to anyone at the school. No one’s really stood out to me,” I continued, putting my feet up on the lunch table.

  Lars snickered, “I dunno, man. I could see you with a few people. Maybe Emerald. Her attitude’s big enough to match yours.” He grins in wake of the group’s laughter.

  “You’re a worse matchmaker than you are at math.” I shrug off his answer, though it still bothers me a bit.

  He continues as though I never spoke. “Or Aquamarine. She’s a narcissist, you’re a pessimist. It’d work out somehow.”

  “She literally sabotaged me in regionals last year. Why would I want to date someone who tried to break my ankle?” I ask, wincing at the memory.

  Soon the whole group is joining in with suggestions.

  “I’d like to see you with Pearl,” Skinny notes.

  “She’s found her soulmate already,” I remind her.

  “Maybe Jasper?” Lars suggests, smirking.

  I need only glare at him. No words. I don’t trust myself not to be an asshole if I open my mouth.

  “What about Peridot?” Jenny asks.

  It wasn’t meant unkindly. Jenny isn’t like that. But the suggestion sets me on edge.

  “Ha! Yeah, you two had a _connection_ two years back, if I remember correctly,” Lars sneers.

  I glance back over my shoulder to look at the clock. Still a half hour to go. A half hour stuck in this cafeteria, surrounded by these people I call my friends. This damn cafeteria.

  “It wasn’t a connection, dipshit,” I spit.

  The table _oohs_. I only cuss in public when I’m pissed, and Lars has a special talent for getting me to that point. It’s rare, but apparently other people find my anger amusing. Sort of like a game.

  I don’t like games.

  I slam my hands on the table. “Look, she literally caught me when I was about to fall. That’s it.”

  Skinny raises an eyebrow. “She wasn’t even talking with us. If you ask me, she was watching you.”

  “Or maybe she knew how big of an ass Jasper was, and was prepared,” I spit.

  “Aw, look, you’re blushing,” Lars taunts, “I think you do like her, but are just afraid to admit it. If you wanted your crush to stay a secret, you should try a little harder, sweetie.”

  His patronizing tone pushes me over the edge, farther than it should’ve gone. “I don’t like her. Why would I?”

  What I meant was that we’ve never actually really interacted. But the whole table takes it the wrong way.

  “Nice burn, Lapis.”

  “Savage.”

  I hear the angry squeak of a chair behind me, and out of the corner of my eye I watch Peridot storm out of the cafeteria. Shit.

  “Hey, listen, I’ve gotta go retake a test for Spanish. Catch y’all later,” I say, hurriedly rushing out of my seat.

  Peridot’s a quick walker, so I have to jog through the halls. I watch her slip into the bathroom, and I take a deep breath before following.

  I open the door to her staring into the mirror. Her head turns to me briefly as I walk in, lingering on my face before glancing away. As though it’s unimportant. Trivial.

  I rub the back of my neck. “Hey.”

  She turns back to me again, hesitating before she replies, “Hm?”

  “Sorry if you heard what I said back there, I didn’t-”

  “No, I definitely didn’t hear what you said. I just like to storm the hallways for fun. Bathrooms are my favorite hangout spot. I love being surrounded by toilets.” The sarcasm in her voice is heavy, too heavy, masking the hurt behind it.

  “I’m not here to judge your weird fetishes. I just wanted to-”

  “Did you miss the ass-ton of irony in my voice, princess? Or was it beneath you to hear it?”

  I pause. “Did you just call me Princess?”

  “Good, so you’re not deaf,” she snaps.

  “The hell’s princess supposed to mean?” I demand.

  “You’re pampered. Spoiled. Surrounded by equally treated friends. At the top of the social ladder, blissfully unaware that the other people below you have feelings.”

  “I came here to apologize, you know.”

  She pauses. “Oh.” Another beat. “Doesn’t change anything.”

  “I didn’t mean what I said. I just… couldn’t take them anymore, shipping me with other people, not even considering how I felt first. Just based on aesthetic.”

  Peridot stares at me coldly.

  “If they’re going to ship me, I’d rather it be because of my personality,” I continue, staring into her celery green eyes. I don’t like them. They’re cold, calculating. I can’t read them. But they can read me.

  “So you’re saying you don’t like my personality, huh?”

  “I’m saying you’d never actually spoken a word to me before now. I didn’t know what you were like. How could I like someone’s personality if I’ve never actually talked to them, or even heard them talk?” I stop for a moment. “I didn’t mean that you were a bad person, I just meant that I had no reason to care. Sorry if it hurt you.”

  She considers what I’ve said, staring back into my eyes. I can’t look away, can never look away from anyone who’s staring into my eyes. It’s psychological, I’ve been told. At least it means I never lose staring competitions.

  “I think you actually mean what you’re saying,” she concludes after a few more moments.

  I bristle. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I didn’t think a princess like you would apologize. I thought you’d have someone outside recording, proving that you’re a good person, or that you’d have been dared to talk to me. But I think you mean it.”

  “I’m not a princess,” I rebuke hotly. “And of course I mean it, dipshit. I didn’t come to the bathroom for fun.”

  “Could’ve had to, you know, actually use a toilet. Or maybe do you find something in here fun; I don’t know, I’m not here to judge your weird fetishes.”

  I grin. “If you had to reuse my line, I’d say you’re pretty desperate.”

  “Me? Desperate? I’m not the girl who left her friends to hang out in the bathroom with a stranger.”

  I look down at my feet. “I would’ve left anyways. They were being jerks.”

  “I noticed. Are you gonna go back, or just hang in the bathroom?”

  “Bathroom.” No doubt.

  “Eh, me too.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Someone’s gotta keep the bathroom girl company.”

  “What’re you gonna do? Talk her to death?”

  “Nah, I’ve got a better idea,” Peridot replies, grinning. “Ever played bathroom basketball?”

 

  Peridot bounces the crumpled paper towel off the wall and into the trash can.

  “Ha! That ties us up! Eighteen to eighteen.”

  I jog back to the starting wall. “Whatever. I can win this, no sweat. You’re like, three inches shorter.”

  “I’m five foot four and three quarters! That’s perfectly tall enough!”

  “Make that three and one quarter inches shorter,” I correct her, grinning.

  “Miss the shot already so I can go.”

  I run straight at her, hoping to throw her off. At the last second, I do a three sixty, feigning right but cutting to the left. I shoot a long shot - fifteen, twenty feet away. Peridot runs to the trash can, hoping to intercept it. She catches it. And then she runs into the trash can with a sickening crack.

  “Peridot?” I ask.

  “I broke the fucking trash can, Lapis, help,” she yells.

  I begin to laugh. “You actually did. Oh my god.” I walk towards the can, laughing even harder as I see the massive crack spreading up the side.

  “Lapis, this is vandalism,” Peridot complains, standing up. “I broke school property.”

  “Oh man, Peridot,” I say, clutching Peridot’s shoulder for support as I crack up. “Tone it down, my dude. Woah. Too much rebellion for such a short person.”

  She begins to laugh too. “Rebel Peridot, that’s me. Defacing school property all day every day.”

  And then maybe we’re laughing a little too hard, but neither of us really cares.


	3. Being a Major Jerk™ has its Perks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lars gets wrecked by peri
> 
> savage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this school is based off mine i guess except my school doesn't have primes we're all basic

  Peridot:

  Maybe Lapis isn’t as I first thought she was. I thought she was the literal stereotype of high school popular girl. But now I get why people like her, or why they should like her, at least. I don’t think some of her friends have the right reasons.

  That’s at least what I try to tell myself as I watch her in the courtyard through dirty glass. Outside, in the sunlight, her brown hair… damn. It shines like hell. And I know from our little basketball adventure that it’s soft too; it would whip against my face whenever she ran past. It was soft and warm and smelled like the ocean and…

  Yeah. Take it as you will. I don’t even know how feelings work anymore. My life is one big game of ‘is it platonic or romantic?’ So I’ve stopped caring. My soulmate solves that problem.

  Speaking of my soulmate, they’ve been busy. If I took off my hoodie, you’d see tendrils of flame encircling my arms. I’d have written a message back, but I didn’t want to mess up their art.

  I’m in love with my soulmate. Just by their art, I know they care. They care about me in particular.

  I wish I could thank them. But I can’t, because my art is literal shit.

  Oh well. Maybe when we meet I can apologize for it.

  As I watch Lapis laugh, I wonder if the soulmate system could ever be wrong.

oO0Oo

  After lunch ended, and Lapis came inside, I caught up to her in the hallways.

  “Hey, Princess,” I said, matching her pace.

  She glances over, surprised at first, but eventually her face fades to normal.

  “Sup, Peri?”

  I shrug. “Nothing much.”

  A pause. We haven’t spoken since the bathroom basketball thing. I don’t know what to say. Luckily, my face never betrays me, and I stay stoic. I look calm, composed. Not like I’m fumbling for words.

  “What’s your next period?” I ask awkwardly.

  She stares at me like I’ve said something funny. “We have our prime class next. Just like… always?”

  “Oh, right. I guess yours is swimming. The whole school knows that,” I reply.

  “Yeah. No one knows what yours is, though,” Lapis remarks.

  “Are you going to ask?”

  She shrugs. “Nah. If you don’t want to tell me, it’s fine. I’m not going to push.”

  A give her a weak smile. “Thanks.”

  More walking down the hallway. What do I say? How do I words? I get increasingly anxious as time goes on. It feels like forever, but it’s really just a few seconds.

  While we walk, others pass, staring at us. What an unlikely duo, a nerd and an athlete. Except no one knows I’m a nerd.

  Maybe I’ve shut myself away a little too much.

  I try not to focus on that, but instead on my friend. Her gaze is directed oddly forward, and as I follow her gaze, I see that Lapis’s group is about to pass us. Lars, the asshole of the group, spots us. Lapis notices, and mutters, “Shit, not _him_. If he talks to me, I’m gonna piss myself. I swear to shit…”

  Unfortunately, he does see us, and as he’s walking in our direction, he calls, “Ooh, look at Lazuli! She’s finally gained the courage to talk to-”

  Just as he’s even with us, I stick my foot out, catching his ankles and tripping him into another student, a blonde girl about my age.

  And, just my fucking luck, his _entire group_ turns to face me. And they look… mildly angry? Or something like that. Probably that.

  “Gotta blast,” I mutter, walking furiously away from Lars and his group, the former of which is now spluttering pathetically to the blonde girl.

  _‘Gotta blast?’_ Why did I say that to the popular kids? I guess I’ll just go in the bathroom and hide for a while and try to ignore the burning feeling of shame and anxiety that’s burning my throat, my heart.

  I run in to the bathroom and slam the door shut, furiously working my way to the farthest stall and swiftly locking the latch. The door opens, but I pay no attention. I’m shaking too hard, trying to contain the tears streaking down my face.

  Social anxiety’s a bitch.

  “Peridot?”

  She actually followed me. Damn. Does she care about me that much, consider me such a friend?

  “You managed to piss off, like, five people at once. Nice,” Lapis continues. “But I think you’re gonna have to come out at some point.”

  “Are you one of the people I pissed off?”

  “Mmm… Kinda? Not sure if I’m pissed, impressed, or annoyed. So, kudos for confusing the fuck out of me, I guess.”

  “Do I get a trophy?” I ask, sniffing.

  “No. Come out, Peri, this is stupid.”

  “Did you just call me Peri?” I splutter pathetically, trying to wipe my nose and retain my dignity at once. Sadly, school toilet paper isn’t absorbent enough for my tears. Or nose. Or just anything in general.

  “You call me Princess, so I’ll call you what I want.”

  I’m silent. What were the popular kids going to do? Humiliate me? Spread rumors? I couldn’t reply, I can only-

  “Fuck it, I’m kicking the door down,” Lapis warns.

  I give a harsh laugh. “Good luck with that. It’s made of metal.”

  Lapis is silent for a moment, and I begin to worry. But there was no need! Absolutely none! Because a second later, I hear a loud thump, and my stall door violently shudders.

  “Shit!” Lapis exclaims. “Okay, so I’m not kicking down the door. Why? No reason. Just... uh... didn't want to damage the door. I mean, it's doing a fabulous job. You know... staying closed..."

  I smile against my will. “You’re… an idiot. You’re an actual idiot. You really tried to kick the door down. I can’t even with you. What were you even trying to accomplish?”

  “I was just trying to put a smile on your face. You always laugh when I do dumb shit.”

  I unlatch the door, but don’t push the door open.

  “You always do dumb shit,” I mutter, peeking out between the door and the stall wall.

  Lapis takes the door and opens it widely, smiling softly. “I know, you spork. That’s why we’re friends.”

  I take a tentative step. “Is that our dynamic? The dumb one and the sassy one? And wait, did you just say spo-”

  “I’d like to think of it as the cool, sassy one – that’s me – and the equally sassy but also the dork – guess who that is,” Lapis replies, wiggling her eyebrows.

  “Also you?” I ask, the corner of my mouth lifting.

  “You guessed it,” she affirms, nodding.

  I don’t know what to say next. I don’t think ‘hey, thanks for calming me down so I didn’t have a complete breakdown since I have social anxiety and just did something that made me very anxious’ is gonna cut it. Or maybe it would, I’ll never know, as just then, yelling can be heard from outside.

  We exchange glances.

  “Should we…?” I start.

  “Probably,” Lapis says with a sigh. “Let’s go.”

  The door opens to a crowd of people. But contrary to before, they’re all deadly silent.

  “Wha-” I start to whisper.

  Lapis cuts me off with a deep intake of breath. “It’s Lars.”

  My eyes widen. “Did… did I hurt him?” I clench my hands into fists to stop them from shaking.

  Lapis grabs my arm. I flinch, but find it calming. “No, no – he’s found his soulmate.”

  “Who?” I ask, shocked.

  “It’s the girl from before – the girl you tripped him onto,” she whispers.

  “No, we’re not!” Lars yells, cutting through the silence.

  “No, I drew that on my arm last mod – it has to be!” the girl replies, blushing.

  Lars turns his nose up. What an asshole.

  Furious at his disappointment, I turn to Lapis to see what she’ll do. She _is_ his friend, after all. She of all people should help him accept it. But her face is hardened, and I know she’s closed off to the world. So I act instead.

  “Someone get a pen!” I yell, “Test it!”

  The nearest girl, Carnelian, pulls out a black ballpoint pen and hands it to Lars. He takes it in a shaky hand, and you can almost hear the crowd draw its breath. Lapis grips my arm tighter, and I let her, let her use it for support, to get through whatever panic she’s in.

  Lars draws a careless streak on the back of his left hand. The girl has a little gasp, and holds her hand up to the boy, whose face whitens.

  “Hey, soulmate,” the girl whispers quietly, giving him a wave with her marked hand.

  Lars looks panicked, and stays silent, slowly backing away. I can see tears forming in the girl’s eyes.

  “Do something,” I whisper to Lapis. But she can’t.

  And no one does anything at all. For a horrible moment, it seems as though time is frozen. And then Lars surprises us all and puts his marked hand up to the girl’s.

  “Hey,” he mumbles, blushing.

  People in the crowd begin to cheer. But not Lapis. She’s still as a stone.

  So I pull her gently and murmur, “Follow me.”

  There’s no resistance, but no hurry. It’s like leading a puppy. And so I lead her outside to a bench overlooking the lake.

  And at last, she begins to relax.

  “You good?” I ask.

  “Y- yeah,” she mumbles.

  “Bullshit,” I say, looking her dead in the eyes. As soon as I do, she flinches, but locks on.

  “So maybe I have a little bit-”

  “A little bit, Lazuli?”

  “-a little bit of discomfort when it comes to soulmates,” she finishes.

  “Any reason in particular?”

  “Mine’s gotten me in trouble a little bit. I haven’t even met them, and they’re already causing stuff.” A bittersweet smile runs over her lips. “I can tell they’re a keeper. Us troublemakers gotta stick together.”

  “But I’m not a troublemaker, and we’re still friends,” I mutter.

  She snorts. “You literally tripped Lars before he could even finish his sentence. Oh, and you broke that trash can. I’d say you have your fair share of moments.”

  I blush. “That’s only really when you’re around. Otherwise, I’m pretty calm.”

  She puts her arm around my shoulder. “Then it looks like we should hang out more.”

  I look over the crystal blue lake. “Yeah, we should.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> re-writing this felt good


	4. who even reads chapter titles anyways

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lapis gets injured because she doesn't lift (bruh) and peridot spears herself in the head look at these two sports ball athletes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was a rushhhhhhhhhh job no hate my dudes  
> QOTD: WHEN'S THE REVEAL  
> AOTD: next chapter 100%

  Lapis:

  “This is bullshit,” I grumbled as my coach barked at the class to do even more laps.

  The first lap was good. Fun, even. The second one was tedious – hadn’t we done enough swimming over the past two hours? The third and fourth hurt a little, right at the end of my ribcage. The fifth was agonizing. The mild pain had turned into a searing burning sensation. I began to silently cry on the sixth, but I said nothing, for what could I say?

  Before I started the seventh, the coach stopped me. “Lazuli, if you puke in my pool again, so help me, I will-”

  But what he would do I will never know, because I pulled myself out of the pool. “I… can’t breathe…” I rasped, clutching the sore spot under my ribcage as I laid down on the wet cement.

  He studied me for a second. “Sit down. Rest. You have a tournament coming up.”

  I nodded and crawled my way over to a beach chair. My world swam around me, yet I kept consciousness. I only vaguely registered the others getting out of the pool, asking if I was okay. I don’t know what I said. I hope it wasn’t embarrassing.

  After two minutes of this, the nurse walked in to the swimming center and cheerfully came over to where I sat.

  “Hello, Ms. Lazuli,” she said, “I’m here to take you to the health suite, if that’s alright with you.”

  I sorely stand up and follow her down twisting hallways until I reach one room I’d never entered before. The nurse’s office.

  When I walk in, I find a familiar face. Peridot. The moment I open the door, she pretends to be asleep on a cot, but I know better. I raise my eyebrows but her green eyes are closed.

  The nurse follows in quickly behind me. “Make yourself at home, dearest. Now, what’s troubling-”

  Before she could finish, a phone on her desk rang out. A landline. What was this, the eighties?

  She answers it with the same cheery smile she’d worn for the past ten minutes. I wonder if it’s tiring to act so happy. Then I realize I already know the answer.

  “Yes? A collision on the field hockey field? I’ll be right there,” the nurse answers in short, quick breaths. “I’m sorry, dearie, but I’ve got somewhere else to be. I’ll be back in a snap. I think you can manage yourself. Just try not to wake up Evergreen here, yeah?”

  She leaves the room in a brusque manner before I can reply. I turn to Peridot.

  “You can stop faking,” I mutter.

  The blonde opens one eye hesitantly. “Is she gone?”

  “I know you heard every word she said. You should know,” I reply, turning away. My side flares up, and I wince.

  “What’s wrong with you?” she asks, sitting up and shifting to the side of her cot so we can see each other eye to eye, which frankly puts me at unease. She can read my emotions better than I can, even without eye contact.

  “Busted side. You?” I reply, clutching the injured area as if that would help. It doesn’t.

  “How’d you do it?” she calmly demands, avoiding my question.

  “Swam too much, too hard. Guess I needed those workout sessions after all,” I answer. “What’d you do to get in here?”

  A blush comes over her face. “I… uh… was doing my prime, and… had a mishap... on my face…”

  Looking closely, I notice now that she has her hair swept over the middle of her forehead. A wide grin spreads over my face. “Show me.”

  She quickly whips her hand up to the very spot I’d focused on moments before. “No way.”

  I leaned forwards and put my hand on hers. “C’mon, what are you afraid of?”

  “Mockery. Humiliation. Pity. Literally anything. You’re full of surprises.”

  “Peridot, why would I do any of that? Have I ever mocked you?” I asked, staring into her eyes. She couldn’t meet my gaze, her eyes darting away and flickering back. For the first time, I felt like our roles were reversed. I was confident. She was not. I didn’t know what to do except play along.

  Peridot carefully removes her hand, and I notice a large purple bruise just between her eyes.

  My first instinct was to laugh. But I remembered her insecurities, and held back. “How’d it happen?”

  She scowls and slaps my hovering hand away. “Doesn’t matter.”

  I lean back, giving in. If she didn’t want to talk, I couldn’t make her. We both notice the growing silence, so I change the topic.

  “Hey, are you going to homecoming this year?” I ask casually.

  She nods. “Yeah. What’s the theme this year?”

  I grin. “It’s a masquerade ball. Are you bringing anyone?”

  She shakes her head. “Nah, I’m not really dating anyone but my soulmate.”

  Oh. Soulmates were something we’d never really discussed. “Have you… found your soulmate?” I say quietly.

  “No,” she replies simply. “Not yet.”

  I feel nothing at her response. I expected more. Shock. Anger. Hope. But I come up empty.

  “Me neither.” A pause. “I hope you get a winner.”

  “Me too.” Silence.

  I’m about to say something, suggest an idea, when the nurse comes bustling in with a girl on a stretcher. Her forehead is busted open with an ugly wound. Peridot quickly feigns sleep, and luckily, the nurse doesn’t notice.

  “I’ll be right there, Lapis,” she says, wheeling the stretcher in. “Just let me call the hospital first. Hopefully your injury serious enough that you won't pass out in the next two minutes.”

  A-plus nursing right here. I can tell by the small smirk on Peridot’s face that she’s thinking it too. While the nurse goes into the next room to place an out of building call, I glance over at Peridot. The bruise stands out on her usually pale skin like a firebrand. I lay down and stare at the ceiling, pulling the scratchy blue blanket over my head.

  “I guess I’ll see you at the masquerade ball, Peri. Maybe we’ll even meet up,” I whisper.

  I’d forgotten that she wasn’t actually asleep. “Me too, Laz,” She murmurs, “Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fun fact i literally got the same injury as lapis while running sprints and couldn't breathe at a normal level for like 5 minutes and was gasping for air moral of the story is dont do sports ball just read fanfics


	5. Bathroom Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> don't ever go places pro tip

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's been a while rip   
> get ready for masquerade ball and dancing wooo  
> yooo 10/21 marks my 1 year anniversary of writing fanfics and now I actually know what paragraph spacing is so if ive learned anything it's that  
> QOTD: no one asked any questions thanks  
> AOTD: well what'd you expect

Peridot:

“Shit, Peri, I thought you said you weren’t going?” Amethyst exclaims, sitting up so quickly, her stomach hits the table, causing it to shake and spill her drink. Pearl, sitting next to Amethyst, jumps up to go get paper towels.

I shrug. “I got persuaded,” I reply casually.

She’s talking about the masquerade ball of course. I hadn’t planned on going, seeing as I only have three friends, two of which who are soulmates and will be dancing alone. But Lapis… fuck, man, don’t get me started on her…

Amethyst wriggles her eyebrows. “Was it because of your mysterious little friend?”

My squad knew that I had a new friend, and had asked to meet them. But I said no, hid Lapis’s identity. Peridot, best friends with a cool kid. The teasing that would ensue. And then there was the other issue. Lapis and Pearl were exes.

I mean, yeah, you have a soulmate here, but there’s no rule to stop you from dating. You just have to know that you’re settling for someone who isn’t as good. And that’s what Lapis and Pearl did. But once Pearl found her soulmate, she broke it off, discarding Lapis like garbage. It broke her heart. No one really saw. They all thought that the popular girl was fine, hiding behind her slightly broken smiles and newly dyed hair. But I could tell.

Maybe I’ve been watching Lapis more than I’d like to believe.

But either way, she’s one of my only real friends. My squad took me in out of pity. Lapis and I… we were close from the start. If I lost that…

Amethyst waves her hand in front of my face. “Earth to Peridot.”

I shake my head to dismiss my thoughts. “Sorry, I was-”

“No, no, dude. Look at your wrist!”

Sure enough, my soulmate had begun to draw again.

“It’s… a flower?” Amethyst says, tilting her head to the side. “I… can’t really… tell?”

I push her hand to the side. “It’s a flower and you know it. I just think you’re jealous that Pearl sucks at art, and my soulmate’s super gifted.”

Just then, Pearl comes back. “I don’t stink at art!”

“Yeah. You suck at it,” I reiterate.

Amethyst lightly shoves my shoulder. “That’s my soulmate you’re talking about. Show some respect,” she adds jokingly.

“I respect your lack of art skill,” I apologize insincerely.

Pearl rolls her eyes. “You’re one to talk about artist talent. You know what? Why don’t you go work out or something? That’s what you do, right?” An obvious dismissal.

“’Cause I’ve got class in ten and I don’t want my brain to turn into muscle,” I reply tersely.

“It wouldn’t matter if it did, with your prime being athletics and all,” she hotly replies.

Pearl’s preferred prime was dancing, but after an injury that would take a year to heal, she’d been shunted into an academic prime. She still had six months before she could dance again.

I bite my tongue to keep from uttering a slew of insults at the pale girl. But I’d learned long ago that acting like an asshole doesn’t tend to make you too many friends. Though there were a few exceptions. But they didn’t tend to be the best either.

“Fuck it, I’m just skipping. It’s last period,” I muttered, walking towards the door.

Pearl squawked indignantly. “You can’t do that. That’s-”

I cut her off by saying, “Oh man, Pearl. Looks like I’m in real trouble now that you’re here.”

I walk out of the door and into fresh air.

But on the way to my car, I took a look at the pool. Lapis was there, swimming back and forth in the pool. I turn down my inner gay, and continue walking. Who cares what she looks like? I have my soulmate. I’m not going to settle for second best, and then break that person’s heart. I refuse to create another Lapis, someone broken inside because of another’s mistakes.

oO0Oo

I’m thankful I skipped class, because outfits? They’re a hassle. Especially dresses. Like, how do I get my dress to match my hair, shoes, and mask? Stupid beauty standards.

But eventually, I end up in a flowy green dress that ends at my ankles, showing off my white strappy sandals. In my hair, I have a cloud white lily that ends just before my mask begins. And my mask? It’s green as well, painted with vines and leaves, berries and flowers.

As I pull up to the school, I see colored light pouring out of the windows in the athletic center. I assume it’s in the gym, so I park as close as I can. I take a deep breath. Dances are an incredible source of discomfort for me, so I’ve packed spare clothes in the backseat. I’m prepared. But as I’m about to leave, I feel the instinctive spark that can only mean one thing: my soulmate is busy.

I check my wrist and find that a small circlet of golden leaves have wound their way around. I give a sad smile and head inside.

oO0Oo

I’m pretty sure I’ve suddenly experienced a stroke the moment I open the doors. Music’s blaring so loudly I can’t hear anything else, and the lights are blinding. My senses are on overdrive, ready to shut down at any moment.

“Peridot! Hey!”

I look over to see a girl dressed in purple heading over. Amethyst.

“Uh, how’d you know it’s me?” I stammer. Was my disguise that obvious?

“No one could manage to look that awkward but you, man!” she exclaims, slinging one arm around my shoulder.

“Thanks,” I mutter. “where’s Pearl?”

Amethyst shrugs. “Not here yet. Hey, do you want to go get a snack? They have some-”

“I’m not hungry, thanks,” I reply, shrugging her arm off. “I’m just gonna go to the bathroom.”

I quickly hurry off before she can say another word. Once I reach the bathroom, I take one of the last two stalls remaining; someone else was in the third.

I think of Amethyst’s borderline flirtation – was she just being friendly, or something more – and pull out my phone. And I wait.

oO0Oo

It’s been a half hour, and while others have come and gone, the girl in the stall next to me still hasn’t left.

Once I’m sure it’s just us, I work up literally all of my courage and call, “Are dances not your thing, either?”

A pause. Then, “Just this one.”

Oh. “Don’t like the music?”

“The people. My ex is showing off with her soulmate, and that’s not my thing.”

I’m silent for a moment. But I mutter, “Do you… want to dance? If you’re… into girls, I guess?”

A laugh. “What about your soulmate?”

“Don’t know them. Besides, it doesn’t have to be romantic.”

“Would you rather it be romantic?”

“I literally just met you.”

“You’re avoiding the question.”

I give a terse laugh. “Let’s see where this goes first.”

“So what I’m not hearing is a no.”

I unlatch the stall door and stumble out into the main area. The other girl does the same, and – wow. The girl’s dressed in a sky blue lacy dress that ends just before her knees, paired with white flats. Her hair is shoulder length, and a chocolate brown color. But her mask is exquisite too. Multiple blues feathered over each other, each blending together to give the sense of an ocean.

“Wow… I didn’t expect a social recluse to be this pretty,” the girl comments.

I feel my face blush. “I… I’m not a recluse?”

I can’t read the other girl’s emotion as her face is completely hidden, but I can almost sense a smile twitching on her lips.

“Mmm… sure. Then why are you in here?” she asks, not unkindly.

“That’s not important right now.”

She laughs. I liked the sound of it. Pretty. I rubbed my wrist, the golden leaves. “You’re pretty sassy.”

“And you’re pretty confident,” I counter.

She snorts. “That’s only ‘cause I have this mask on. Normally, I’m a bundle of awkwardness, not unlike yourself.”

I roll my eyes. “Are we going to dance, or did you just force me out of my stall to laugh at me?”

“A bit of both, I think,” she replies. “but we haven’t danced yet.”

“Maybe we should start,” I suggest, offering her my hand.

“In the bathroom?” she says skeptically.

“What better place to start?” I ask.

“I don’t think there is one. You’ve chosen the perfect location,” she answers, taking my hand.

The music from outside, being deafening, pours through into the room. We step back and forth, one hand on her waist, the other in her hand. I spin her around, taking slow steps in the crowded space.

“So, mysterious stranger,” the girl starts, “Tell me, is this romantic or not?”

“Shut up,” I mutter. “I can barely keep from stepping on your feet, and your sass is too distracting.”

“Do you mean dis-sass-cting?” she

I spin her around extra fast in retaliation for her horrible pun, and her foot slips in a puddle of water on the floor. Luckily, we’re in a decently small space, so she has something to hang onto; she chooses the countertop. Unluckily, that motion causes the towel dispenser, soap dispenser, hand drier, and sink to activate.

“Fuckin- Ah!” she cries as not one, but four dispensers activate at once, creating a deafening noise. Soap lands on her forearm and a paper towel hits her in the face.

We look into each other’s eyes for just a moment before bursting into laughter. It takes a moment for us both to stop, but when we do, she asks,

“Do you want to get out of here?”

I tilt my head to the side. “What do you mean?”

“Do you want to hang out somewhere else? Like, right now?”

“Afraid of a little soap?”

“Terrified,” the girl replies sarcastically.

“Oh man, then I guess we’d better go. Who knows what’d happen if you came in contact with any more cleaning supplies.”

“Definitely. I’d especially hate to have a run in with shampoo. Even the name gives me shivers,” she says, pulling me by my hand out the door.

I smirk. Maybe this girl wasn’t too bad, after all.

oO0Oo

“Do you have a jacket?” the girl asks, shivering in the night air.

“In my car. Come with?”

She nods. Silence falls heavily between us, and as time goes on, I’m afraid it’ll never lift.

“I never got your name, by the way,” she adds.

“Isn’t the point of this whole thing? You know, a secret identity?” I respond over my shoulder.

“Then make up a name, or I’ll do it for you. And trust me, you won’t like the name I give you.”

“Why?”

“How does ‘dresses like a neon green Nike sock’ sound?”

“Fucking fantastic,” I agree, nodding my head solemnly. “But maybe I should try.”

“Go for it.”

“I guess… Pine? It was part of my internet username when I was a kid.”

“I’m intrigued. What was the full name?”

“If I tell you, you could see all my data.”

“That’s the point. Well, half of it, anyways.”

“Yeah, no.”

We reach my car, and I pull out my jacket. It’s my generic purple school hoodie. The girl takes it from my hands and immediately pulls it over her dress.

“Nice fashion statement,” I remark.

“Thanks. It’s the hottest trend there is. Get with it, Pine.”

I roll my eyes, but reply, “So, where do you want to go?”

Her face lights up behind her mask. “I thought you’d never ask.”

oO0Oo

Thirty seconds later, we arrive at the bridge that leads from the parking lot to the turf field.

“Are you gonna jump off? Cause I don’t think I can catch you. My arms are very weak,” I say, breaking the silence.

“Even better,” she replies, reaching into her bag to bring out a can of spray paint. “I hope you like breaking the rules, my dude.”

I break out into a grin.

Once we’ve reached the underside of the bridge, the girl uncaps the can.

“What’re you gonna write?” I ask, peering at the blank wall.

“My name, probably,” she replies as she shakes the can.

“And that is?”

She hesitates. “Oh, yeah. Right.” A pause. “I guess I’ll follow your trend and go by my old internet name. From now on, call me Sparklechild09.”

I laugh. “Are you serious?”

“That was literally my username from, like, five years old to eleven.”

I roll my eyes, and she defends, “It started on Webkinz, okay?”

“Fair enough,” I replied. “I think our first usernames were all a bit weird.”

Without answering, the girl rolls up her sleeves and begins to paint.

While she’s doing so, I feel a slight tingling in my palms. I ignore it.

When she’s finished, I find the word ‘rain’ on the wall in pretty handwriting.

“Nice name,” I remark.

“Thanks. I tried so hard.” She smiles. “Your turn. Try not to fuck up too hard.”

I hold out my hand for her to toss the can to. But she only stares.

“How’d your hands get that dirty?”

Glancing down at my palms, I find them to be covered in blue ink.

“Must’ve been my soulmate,” I reply, shrugging.

In reply, she holds up her own blue-stained hands.

My heart nearly exploded. I was in shock. My lungs struggled to breathe but couldn’t find the air. The girl’s - Rain’s calls were distant in my head, until she shakes me by the shoulders and my lungs remember how to keep me alive.

“Shit, shit,” she mutters, rolling up her sleeve. Pressing down on the nozzle, blue paint squirts onto her forearm.

A moment later it appears on mine.

oO0Oo

“Holy fuck,” I whispered.

She pulled me into a hug, and we both began to cry.

“I can’t believe we were at the same school the whole time,” she says. “We could’ve been dating for so long.”

After a minute more of this, once we’ve both calmed down, I grasp the edge of her mask, and murmur, “I think it’s okay to take this off now.”

I drop her mask on the ground and run away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ha yall thought itd be in front of ppl buT NOPE I TWISTED THE TROPES okay u may go  
> next chapter is... soon?


	6. wow suoper smut should rate this one D for deathly wowo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> peridot runs away and cries for 17 years then dies after lapis hunts her down

Hey!

This isn’t a chapter <BUT IS STILL IMPORTANT>

(Rip @me in the comments 2k17)

So I kinda am unhappy with the way this fic has been set up, and I want to change a few details to add some extra d r a m a, because that’s what y’all are here for, right? Drama n romance? Right? I don’t know what u want but I can guess???

Like okay so ima be replacing chapters 1 by 1, so if u see one that’s like “Peridot hates green” and then the next chapter is like “Peridot loves green so much it should be her soulmate instead mmm broccoli” like ignore that like beside the fact that it’s weird and probabIy written while I was on 0 hours of sleep I just want feedback and to push out chapters

but it is gonna be pretty different in terms of lapis's relationships with literally e v e r y o n e

thanks

 

**Author's Note:**

> w h a t d o y o u t h i n k


End file.
